Greetings. Allow me to bring you a new fanfiction story from fascinating Toaru universe. A world full of great heroes and villains, world of magic and science.
The story A Certain Mysterious Reality Warper begins after World War III arc (beacuse I am mainly anime person). Nevertheless, it is heavily inspired by the New Testament. For a full understanding, it is good to see all the anime series Toaru and know the New Testament for a better understanding of objects, concepts, heroes and villains, including their personalities and abilities, etc. Also, some understanding of principles of the world of Toaru is necessary.
Thank you and I hope you will like this epic story.
NOTES:
English is not my native language, I'm very sorry for any grammatical errors and incorrect structure of sentences, but I will try to correct any mistakes.
For cover image I'm greatfull to KilloBitZzz.
"And once I will destroy all of that, this world will be no longer a threat."
Chapter 1: Queen on the Chessboard
In the Academy City the streets were almost empty. In Japan the time on the clock showed 3:24 AM. It was November 5. In a few hours, the sun will rise and the city will wake up to a cold morning. The freshness of the autumn air and the approaching winter could be felt in the air. Wind turbines was rotating quietly in the gentle breeze that only slightly moved leaves on trees. A bright moon was shining and the sky was decorated with stars. The street was bathed in the light of lamps, and lights in windows of buildings created a mosaic of thousands of lights. The peace of the night was interrupted only by the sound of lonely cars.
A girl was standing on the edge of the roof of one tall building. While her eyes were fixed on the city, her long hair was blowing in the wind. A little while ago, the roof was still empty, there was no one there. The girl's appearance was unusual. Her eyes were deep red, the left half of her hair was black, the other almost snow white. Her skin was fair, and by her face one would guess that she came from Europe, perhaps the northern countries. She was wearing a white-red-black sweatshirt, white pants and white shoes with black stripes.
She knew that with her arrival, the flow of river of events and lives of many people would deviate in a different direction.
At that time, the lights were off in the Tokiwadai High School dormitories, the corridors were quiet and dark. Most of the inhabitants were asleep. But some were troubled by thoughts that prevented them from falling asleep. The white light of the moon penetrated into the small room number 208, which was the home of two girls. While one was sleeping peacefully, the other had her eyes open. Misaka Mikoto lay under the quilt, tired but unable to close her eyes. She looked at her open hand in the moonlight. In her palm was a small keychain of Gekota mascot. She has the same keychain on her mobile phone. But this one belonged to a boy who sacrificed himself to save people. She found the keychain just five days ago in the cold ocean on the coast of cold ocean.
She looked at the small keychain and repeated the same images in her mind. Snowy, cold regions of Russia. Flying stone fortress in the sky. Last eye contact with the boy who owned the keychain. Their hands, which were only a few centimeters apart. She has been holding back tears for more than one night. But thoughts that what if he is not dead help to hold those tears.
"(Until I'm sure, I'll never believe it!)" She said to herself in mind.
She turned and looked at her close friend, Shirai Kuroko, who was fast asleep. The silence in the room was interrupted only by her monotonous breathing. Mikoto smiled a little, but her sadness was immediately back. She then clenched the hand that was holding Gekota keychain into a fist.
"I have to be sure," she said in a whisper.
. . .
In a simple student dormitory in District 7 of the Academy City, another girl had similar feelings. She also couldn't sleep and for the same reason – she didn't know where the same boy was. A small girl with long silver hair and dressed in a white nun's habit sat crouched on the bed. She was holding a small cat named Sphinx in her arms. Her eyes went to the window. She tried to see the stars through the city lights. She had an expression on her face without a single hint of joy, but with an undisguised expression of sadness and waiting.
"Touma..." she said his name, very quietly and sadly.
She was waiting for the boy to return. The boy who always saved her, helped her, cooked her food, never got mad at her and would never hurt her.
"Where are you? When will you come back? "
These questions bothered her for days. She waited for the next day, the day when Touma might finally return. While Touma was with her, she was cheerful, enjoying watching TV and playing video games. Now in these days she couldn't find joy. She had been watching her favorite series for the past few days just to keep her mind focused on other thoughts than the endless questions. She didn't even touch the game console. She sat on the bed for a while, but in the end she was so tired that she lay down and fell asleep in a few minutes.
Several hours passed. The sun began to rise in Academy City. The city began to wake up, the streets were filled with people and the noise of cars was getting louder. The first rays of sunlight also penetrated the room where Index was sleeping.
She slowly opened her tired eyes. She was awakened by the Sphinx's soft meowing, demanding breakfast. After feeding her little friend, Index also began to think about food. It was just a small addition to all the uncertainty about Touma. She walked to the fridge and thought about what to have for breakfast.
"If Touma was here, he would definitely make something very tasty. Right, Sphinx?!"
. . .
Mikoto fell asleep for less than two hours. She was woken up by Kuroko, who was getting ready for the next day.
"Onee-sama. Onee-sama! Wake up!"
The moment Mikoto opened her eyes, Kuroko was combing her hair at the table.
"Good morning, Onee-sama. I hope you slept well."
"Sure Kuroko, thank you."
"But you still look tired. I know that expression of yours, and I know that you never sleep these last days."
"Huh? How do you..."
"Don't say anything."
Kuroko held up her index finger, still facing the mirror on her desk.
"I, Kuroko, know everything about you, Onee-sama. Always. You had this expression whenever you tried to fight alone and solve all the problems yourself. Something happened in Russia, didn't it?"
"Thanks Kuroko, but this time it's not about a fight or any big criminal plans. I'm just not sure about something."
"About something... If there's anything I can help you with, tell me. Me, Uiharu, Konori, all of Judgment will always help you. With our authority and competency, everything will be easier for you. We can find out information that you cannot access. Not even with your ability."
Mikoto stood up from the bed and smiled. "Okey Kuroko, I'll keep that in mind."
She tried to create a calm, everyday atmosphere of an ordinary day. She didn't want to burden her friend with her troubles. She got up and started getting ready for another day in Tokiwadai. As she walked towards the bathroom, Kuroko watched her in the mirror placed on the small table with a troubled expression.
"(Onee-sama, no matter how many times you've needed the help of others, you still try to rely on yourself.)"
They left dormitories together. On the way, Mikoto tried to talk about ordinary matters, but her mind was still restless. She wondered what happened to "that idiot" who stayed on the falling fortress even though her hand of salvation was only inches away from him. She was unfocused and thoughtful all the time at school. But that wasn't a big problem, since her genius intellect allowed her to easily remember information and understand complicated tasks without the slightest problem.
When school finally ended, Mikoto walked down the hall with the goal of finally leaving school and going to the city, but she met one of her friends, Kongou Mitsuko.
"Ah! Misaka-san, do you have a moment please?"
"Oh, Kongou-san, sure, what can I help you with?"
"Well, me, Wannai-san and Awatsuki-san are going to sit down for some juice or iced tea. Don't you want to come with us? For the last few days, you seem to be troubled by something, so we thought... Well, the restaurant is nearby, so I thought we'd go there together. Since that... unfortunate events on festival, we didn't even have time to talk properly. I wanted to invite Shirai too, but I couldn't find her anywhere."
"Kuroko is probably in Judgment now. She won't be free until later in the evening. After the restrictions due to the war, they have a lot of work to do before the situation in the city completely returns to normal. But I'll be happy to go."
"Really? It's not easy for her. But Wannai-san and Awatsuki-san are already there, they will be happy to see you. P-Personally, I'd rather go to the teahouse, but a little change won't hurt."
While saying this, she closed her eyes and put her fan in front of her face.
Mikoto just agreed with a smile. She had her own worries now, but she didn't want to reject her close friend.
At the restaurant, they met Wannai and Awatsuki, who were already sitting at the table. There were only a few people there, loudest noise was made by the television on the wall, on which the news was just broadcast.
'...but according to some political scientists, it will be a long time before friendly relations between France and Great Britain are restored again. Now we move to the Pacific Ocean. Kilauea volcano activity continues to grow, according to the latest warnings from experts. But it is still not known what caused this sudden increase in activity. As you can see in the simulation, a potential explosion could cause flight diversions and endanger thousands of people living in this area...'
"What will you order, Misaka-san?" Wannai Kinuho with gentle voice.
"I guess I'll pick some cake."
"I'm not used to places like this, but the cake reminds me of teahouses, so I guess I'll have one too." Kongou said, a bit timidly. In fact, she could hardly hide the feeling of joy that she was somewhere with her closest friends.
About ten minutes passed and the ordered cakes and drinks were already on the table. As they enjoyed the quiet time and lighthearted conversation, Mikoto thought to herself, looking at a small plate of almost eaten cake.
Wannai sitting across from Mikoto noticed her thoughtfulness.
"Misaka? Misaka?!"
"Huh?! Ah, sorry."
"Is something wrong?"
"Aaah, no, nothing. I just thought about... recent events. Don't worry. Hey, I thought I'd invite you somewhere next time. For example, to tea room. If you don't mind, I'll also invite Saten-san and Uihara-san."
"Of course we will be happy." Said Kongou. "We also went through many dangers with them, and I rarely had the opportunity to get to know them better. Especially since they don't go to Tokiwadai. Plus Shirai-san will be there too."
Mikoto just looked away and a smirk appeared on her face.
"(Kuroko and the quiet atmosphere of a teahouse does not sound like a good combination.)"
. . .
Index spent most of the day watching TV and waiting for Touma. She wondered where he was or if she should go look for him. Or whether to go to a restaurant for some delicious food like Touma makes.
As she apathetically watched TV, the door to the dormitory began to open. She didn't want to believe it for a few seconds. Then she quickly ran to the door.
"I'm back, Index. I-I'm sorry you had to wait so long."
Index just blinked her eyes. Suddenly there was a flash of joy and small tears in her green eyes. Then all fears of the last few days dropped from her and she began her usual preaching.
"Touma! You've been gone all this time. You don't even know how scared I was! What were you doing!?"
"Well… Ehm? What do you mean... specifically?"
Index noticed that Touma was not alone. Slightly behind him were two persons.
"Touma! I know it's typical of you to bring someone here far too often. But now there's someone I clearly don't know!"
"Well, this is Birdway–"
"Leivinia Birdway, new heroine on the scene! Nice to meet you!" said loudly a short girl with blond hair and archaical clothe on her.
"Yes. And this is her assistant, Mark Space," Touma said with a bit of nervousness as he wasn't sure how Index would react.
Index frowned.
"You were gone for a few days. I was worried about you. There was a shortage of food. And the first thing you're going to do is bring your new acquaintances here like from some trip?!"
"Please Index, forgive! We'll just discuss something and when they leave, we'll go to a restaurant and then go shopping. I promise!"
Index just turned around. As she walked back to the room, she said, "I'll forgive you if we go to a restaurant every day for at least a week."
"But, that will be a bit, well, expensive." Touma just sighed, "Okay then... Such misfortune!"
Leivinia, Touma and Index sat down at the low table. Mark was standing next to Leivinia, and about a meter behind her. Index had no idea why these people were present, but she knew from their appearance that they were mages and their presence was a harbinger of a serious situation.
"So, what are you going to have? Any British tea?" Touma asked his guests.
"Are you trying to be funny? No thanks. I'll find something else." Leivinie got up, went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
Index tried to interrogate the pair of guests.
"You're mages, aren't you? By the looks of your items and clothing you came from Britain."
"Right, from Dawn-Colored Sunlight! " Leivinia replied proudly.
"Dawn-Colored Sunlight?! That powerful magical organization from London?!"
"Exactly!" Leivinia said, winking at Index. "But we are not here to talk about us. We wanted to discuss it elsewhere, but he wanted to see you as soon as possible. So, Kamijou Touma, before we rescued you, we obtained clues indicating a great threat, endangering many people. "
"A threat? What threat?" asked Touma.
"We don't know what his goal is. But that person or group started preparing something on a global scale. Three volcanoes on the planet began to show activity."
"Do you also deal with volcanology in addition to magic?" Touma said spontaneously with a bit of irony.
Leivinia Birdway just a little laughed. "No, but this caught our attention. Kilauea in Hawaii. Next, the old Pulosari volcano in Java. And Beerenberg in Norway on the island of Jan Mayen. Of all the three places, the strongest magic works in Jan Mayen."
Touma's facial expression changed slightly. He grew serious and then looked to the side with his eyes. He understood that mages wouldn't talk about volcanoes for no reason. If something like this caught their attention, there was no doubt that something dangerous was about to happen.
Leivinia continued to explain. "There would be nothing special about increased activity of volcanoes. But the cause is not natural. The volcanoes began to wake up because they were forced to do so by powerful magic. Magic this strong cannot be created by a random mage. We are dealing with someone very powerful."
Touma fixed his eyes back on Leivinia.
"So someone very powerful... So you don't know who or why. You just know that someone probably wants to make the volcano explode. But you probably don't even know when. He uses magic to do this. Am I understanding this correctly?"
"Almost perfectly said. Except that a group of mages named Gremlin is probably behind it."
"Gremlin? What kind of magic is it that can bring a volcano to explode?"
"These are the tools of Hephaestus."
"Tools of Hephaestus? I assume these are magical items, right? What is their purpose?"
Before Leivinia could answer, Index began to speak. "The tools of Hephaestus are three symbols of the ancient Greek god Hephaestus, god of blacksmithing, fire and volcanoes. Hammer, anvil and blacksmith's tongs. If objects are enchanted using this mythology, in the hands of a very powerful mage they can be used to cause a volcano to erupt and also as a source for creating powerful magical weapons. Especially if the collected energy of the volcano is used for creating them. But in this process they are destroyed and it is necessary to create new ones. It's hard to imagine that some of today's mages can do that."
"So you think the goal is to create some sort of weapon?"
"Maybe." Leivinia replied. "However, such weapons also requires specific materials that are very difficult or almost impossible to obtain. Especially in sufficient quantity. The three tools of Hephaestus themselves are located near three volcanoes. The weakest magical energy is in Java, there are probably pincers there. The energy is stronger in the Kilauea volcano, apparently the anvil is there. But the strongest source is in Norway, so the hammer will be there."
Touma was thinking. "But how to stop it? It is difficult to find such small objects, moreover, placed somewhere in the vicinity of a volcano that can erupt at any time. Can they be located since they are a source of magical energy?"
Mark Space intervened in the interview. "From a long distance, no. They are fully activated only to trigger a volcanic eruption. Until then, their action is hidden by a protective charm. They can be detected, but only from a few kilometers at most, and only with very low accuracy."
Leivinia throw up hands and closed eyes. "Well, It's a race against time!"
"One more important question. Why are you telling me all this? There are enough mages in the world, why should I get involved?"
Leivinia smiled mischievously.
"Because you can destroy any magical item with a single touch, for example. By removing the magical item, you can destroy their plan. You will help protect a lot of people. Like you did in Russia. And we will find out if the Gremlin is really the culprit. We're a bit concerned that someone has a project of this scale and we don't have a clear idea of their intentions. Sounds good, right? Didn't you stay in that fortress to protect the people? I suppose that even now you will not remain sitting in this hole that you wanted us to bring you into."
Index frowned. "A hole? This is our home!"
Leivinia just laughed and added in a cheerful tone, "Sure, as you think. So, Touma. After the snow and cold, the beaches and palm trees of Hawaii wouldn't be a bad change. What do you say to such a deal?"
Touma thought and lowered his eyes. Then he raised them again, looking directly into Leivinia's eyes. "Okay then. Iwill go to Hawaii."
Then he looked down at his hand and clenched it to fist.
"Why Hawaii?"
"Consider it a division of labor. A few mages will go to Java, me and Mark to Norway. You're going to Hawaii. "
"Me? Me alone? I thought you were coming with me, but you're going to the opposite end of the planet?! And how should I know what to do, where to look, where to go?!"
"Just calm down. You will not go alone."
"So who will come with me?"
Leivinie smiled suspiciously. "Let yourself be surprised."
Touma just sighed. "Such misfortune. I hope it will at least be someone I can count on. Who goes to Java anyway?"
"Two powerful mages. Ollerus and Silvia."
Touma thought. After afew moments, he spoke. "Before I leave, I want to contact one person. I have to apologize and thank her. She probably doesn't even know I'm alive."
"As you wish. You're not leaving until tomorrow morning anyway."
Leivinie had a smug look on her face. She knew Touma would agree. Persuading people by exploiting their personality strengths or weaknesses is her specialty. Whether it's heroism, courage, fear, love, hate...
Leivinie stood up and started walking towards the door. "Well then. You will fly there by plane, it will be like a tourist trip. No need to attract attention. Bye for now."
She and Mark Space left, leaving Touma and Index alone. Shortly after the door closed and they walked down the hall, Space began to speak his thoughts.
"I see it paid off for you to bring him back to this city. He will go. But he is the only one of the Kamijou faction who knows about all of this so far. What about others?"
"No worries!" she said confidently. "That phone call will help bring another member to Hawaii, one of the key ones. At least for him."
Then she stopped, put her index finger on her cheek and smiled. "But maybe we could help a little to get a few more faction members to go to Hawaii."
. . .
After saying goodbye to her three friends, Mikoto walked the streets of District 7. The cake at the restaurant and the conversations with Mitsuko, Wannai and Kinuho helped her forget her worries for a moment, but now they were back in her mind. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the ringing of her phone. After opening her Gekota mobile, she immediately woke up from her lethargy and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. She immediately pressed the answer button.
"Yes?!" She said enthusiastically as if she was waiting for a miracle.
"Misaka?"
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Mikoto's face, and in a moment a smile of happiness and almost tears in her eyes. It took her a while to recover, but she was finally sure that Touma was alive. Then she frowned.
"Why did you do something so stupid? After all the hardships I've been through. All you had to do was grab my hand. But then again, you wanted to be a hero and…"
"You won't even greet me? I'm sorry, Misaka. I couldn't just leave." Touma then began to speak more quietly and slowly. "But I wanted to tell you that I'm grateful. For coming. So, Iam really greatfull to you."
"Uhm," Mikoto just nodded and blushed a bit, "What it is..." she mumbled in embarrassment. "I don't know how you got over it, but I'm glad you're okay."
"Thanks. I have to go now."
"Wait a minute! We need to talk as soon as possible. What was all that supposed to mean? You in Russia, again involved in the conflict of some unknown forces. That fortress in the sky, symbols on that night sky, and then the night turned into a golden day. It's too much and you're always in the middle of it all."
"Misaka, it's a dangerous world. Like I told you once, I want everyone to always come back smiling. Including you."
"Are you forgetting you're talking with Tokiwadai's Ace? You know I can take care of myself."
"Misaka, but this time..."
"This time? Are you going somewhere again? Something bad is happening... again?!" Misaka started to speak in a raised voice. "Just to be clear, I'm going with you this time!"
"You don't have to! You have no idea what it's about. In fact, I'm not quite sure myself."
"All the more you need someone who can help you. Tell me when and where you're leaving!"
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to put you in danger. This problem is from a part of this world you don't know about."
"From a part that showed up in Russia?"
"Yes... I have to finish now."
"Hey, wait–!" The phone call ended and Mikoto gritted her teeth. "That idiot!"
After the phone call, Touma held his cell phone in his hand for a while and looked at the ground. He sighed and closed his eyes. He has barely returned to the city and is once again in the vortex of danger. And now the stubborn Mikoto got involved.
"Touma." The silence was broken by this single word, spoken by Index's soft and sad voice. "Touma, you're leaving again. And again I won't know where you are or if you're okay."
Touma looked at sad Index. He smiled at her with a warm smile.
"Don't worry. You know I'll always come back. The reason I go to Hawaii is the same as always. To keep you and the others safe."
"I should go with you."
"No Index, it's too dangerous."
"Why? The short-haired girl is coming too!"
"I didn't agree with that."
"I know 103,000 grimoires, no one knows more about magic than I do! I can help!"
"Without doubt, Index. Your knowledge has helped us many times. I am grateful for that. Not only me, but many other people. But disaster can happen in Hawaii. And behind everything is an unknown enemy. I don't want to put you in danger. I want for you to be safe. For example. Are you remeber, when I was just doing my homework in restaurant? It ended with your kidnapping and me trying to find you. So please, listen to me this time."
Index lowered her head and her gaze was directed to the ground.
"I always listen to you, Touma."
Touma walked over to Index and placed his hand on her head and smiled kindly. Index then snapped out of her thoughts and looked into his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll be back. I will always come back to you."
"I know. But..."
"It will be a few days at most. Leivinie and her group helped me, now I want to help her."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
. . .
The atmosphere was more cheerful in Yomikawa Aiho's apartment. It's only been a few days since Accelerator returned from Russia, where he went to save the Last Order. To the small family living in the apartment – he, Last Order, Yomikawa Aiho, Yoshikawa Kikyou, he brought a new member, Misaka Worst. An eccentric girl who is an artist at inventing problems and provocative comments. Yomikawa accepted her, just as she accepted Accelerator and Last Order.
All day long, Misaka Worst and Last Order have been dueling to win the video game. They were sitting in front of the TV, game controllers were in their hands and great determination to win was in the eyes of Last Order. She has already lost several rounds in a row in the spaceship racing game. Last Order was so immersed in the game that she was tilting along with her spaceship while avoiding various objects in the form of asteroids.
"This time Misaka will win! Misaka is almost at the finish line! Says Misaka as Misaka sees her chance to win after four losses."
"Huh? Surely?" Misaka Worst said with a smirk and then used her last triumph that she was saving for last moment which caused the Last Order's fifth loss.
Last Order started waving the controller and getting upset. "Again! Misaka refuses to play this game with you anymore! Says Misaka as Misaka is upset about her losses and points the finger at Misaka Worst."
"Say what you want, but Misaka knows you'll be demanding retribution in a few hours," said Misaka Worst.
"Phew! Misaka is firm in her decision! Says Misaka as Misaka conveys the seriousness of her claim!"
"Hey, don't you wanna calm down finally?!" Accelerator said, lying on the couch.
"You be quiet! You brought my archenemy here!" Last Order said with a raised voice while pointing her index finger at Accelerator.
"The archenemy?" asked Yoshikawa, who was drinking small coffee at the table with Yomikawa.
"It's the first time I've heard her speak in the first person," added an astonished Yomikawa.
"She always does that when she gets really angry," Accelerator said in a monotone tone.
Yomikawa got up from the table and clapped her hands. "Alright, time to take a break from video games. And you Accelerator, it's time for you to get some rest, the day has just begun. So, you and Misaka Worst will go shopping together. "
"Huh?!" Both Misaka Worst and Accelerator frowned incomprehension."
"No complaining. Such small activities are suitable for your socialization."
"What about Misaka! Misaka wants to go with him too! Says Misaka as Misaka is jealous of the other Misaka!"
"It's just shopping at a nearby small shop, no adventure. Next time we'll go to the underground School District 22. It's amazing, you'll be excited," Yomikawa told Last Order.
Last Order's eyes lit up with joy. Then Yoshikawa bowed down to Last Order and smiled. "While those two are gone, how about playing that game with me? I'm a complete novice, so you'll probably beat me."
Last Order put her hands on her hips and had a proud expression on her face. "He– he– he, don't doubt it, Misaka says as Misaka pre-declares her victory over a weak opponent."
Yomikawa just smiled and said with a bit of sarcasm, "Hey, has your inner child awakened?"
Yoshikawa turned to Yomikawa and replied with a smile, "Maybe a little."
"So we're going to have three kids now," Accelerator said in his typical tone.
"Enaugh talking. So go now, both of you. And have fun!" Yomikawa said commandingly, but at the end mumbled, "But within limits, don't make a fuss. And above all, don't blow up anything."
On the way to the store, two things were heard above all. Accelerator's crutch and the ideas of Misaka Worst, who came up with plans to get the goods without paying. Everyday life prevailed on the street. The Third World War did not affect life in the city.
Inside the store, both Misaka Worst and Accelerator felt a little like they were trapped in some kind of dream. They weren't used to going carefree shopping together, to hear the music from the radio, the conversations of ordinary people and beeping of the cash register.
Meanwhile, Misaka Worst continued with her ideas. "Why are you so against it? Why pay when we can have it for free?"
"I told you we wouldn't steal anything!" "(How can I be the sane one here? Listening to this nonsense, I can already see why Yomikawa wanted her to go too. She needs to learn how to function in the normal world. Even though the 'normal world' was never meant for us.)"
"Oh! How about we eat some samples and then pretend to get food poisoning?"
"I said no! Better take two juice packs and put them in the shopping cart. You can choose the flavor."
"Juice? Are you a child? I thought you liked your black coffee."
"That's not for me. But for…"
"Last Order, I understand."
"The second pack is for you."
A smirk appeared on Misaka Worst's face. "Hmm? Do you want to win me over with a drink?"
"I knew she would say something like that," Accelerator muttered.
"By the way, do you know that the Sisters especially like tea?"
"Doesn't matter... Take the juice and let's get out of here. "
On the way back, the pair saw an ice cream truck where several students and children were buying ice cream.
"Hey look! Misaka wants ice cream!"
Accelerator just sighed. (I have to go along with her childish ideas instead of Last Order.) "But you carry the shopping bag the rest of the way."
"Okay, but I want a double portion in return!"
They both bought vanilla ice cream. Misaka Worst changed the 'deal' a bit and bought a triple portion. Accelerator just rolled his eyes at her childishness.
When they sat on the bench, Misaka Worst again started teasing Accelerator. "Hey, you know what the people around us are thinking?"
"What?"
"That we must be a couple in love on a date."
"Oh, really..."
"So, don't you want to stop staring into the unknown and be a little braver? Make a move. I guess you're not afraid, dont you? Hehe."
(Can she stop talking nonsense for at least ten minutes?)
As soon as Accelerator finished his ice cream, they set off towards their apartment. Accelerator was more tired from just shopping with Misaka Worst than he was after fights against enemies. While Misaka Worst finished her ice cream while walking, Accelerator had to carry the bag, despite the 'agreement', as her arm was still in a cast due to their fight in Russia.
Misaka Worst was surprisingly quiet for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the ground.
"Hey, don't you think this situation, this scenery, is too weird? Misaka can't get used to the fact that the two of us go shopping, eat ice cream in the middle of a quiet city, that we have a home. Misaka shouldn't even be alive now. Don't you feel weird because nothing is happening? As if it was a harbinger of some big events."
"Would you like something to happen?"
"Maybe yes, maybe not. No one knows himself perfectly. And you know that I hate boredom. Look. Doesn't it seem to you that somehow people have disappeared from our neighborhood?"
Accelerator looked around suspiciously. He slowly raised his hand to the switch of his esper powers. But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a girl's voice echoing a few meters behind them. "Dear, do you have a moment?"
Both Misaka Worst and Accelerator turned, instinctively ready for a possible fight at the first sight of people dressed in what looked like theater costumes.
Misaka Worst was the first to react with her typical mocking tone a smirk. "What, do you need anything from us? A stage, maybe?"
"Let's say yes. We would like to discuss something with you," said the small girl with blonde hair.
A fairly tall boy, also with blond hair stood next to her.
"Who are you?" Accelerator asked.
"Mages, my friends. I'm Leivinia Birdway. This is my assistant Mark Space."
"Mages? Hahaha, so are you acting in some fantasy drama? But you've caught Misaka's attention, keep talking!"
"Didn't what you saw in Russia convince you enough that there is more to this world than you know?" said Leivinia to Misaka Worst.
But Accelerator was thinking. (To understand this world, it is no longer possible to rationally explain what has happened so far. Let's listen to them and see what rules of this world they clarify.)
Then he said, "Let's say we believe you. Tell us what you want."
Leivinia laughed.
"That's the right approach! Keep walking, we'll just join you. By the time you reach your destination, you'll have everything figured out. You two have been living in a world of rationality and science until now. However, in Russia you have become involved in a world beyond anything you have ever known. And you Accelerator, you've encountered magic before."
As they slowly walked towards the Yomikawa's apartment, Leivinia explained the world of magic in simple terms. Its history, principles, the importance of mythology for magic, sources of energy... Finally, they stopped at their goal.
Accelerator turned directly to Leivinia and asked a question. "You still haven't told us one important thing. Why did you come with us. "
"I originally came to see you. But the girl was with you, and she doesn't seem like she wants to avoid the whole issue."
"Hmmm, Misaka loves troubles, little girl." she said.
"So we have exactly one trobule. The reason I came is that some mage wants to cause a volcano to erupt.'' "Volcano? Which one, Fuji?" Accelerator asked.
"No, in Hawaii. The situation is more complicated, but you will learn more from a person who already knows about the whole situation and has a flight to the islands tomorrow morning. You can join."
"And why should I solve the problem of mages thousands of kilometers away?"
"Hawaii, Java, Norway...These are places where disaster is brewing. We are going to Norway, so we need your help in another area. Just find the magic item. If we don't stop them now, they can continue. You are strong enough to help, you have already met magical side of this world, at the same time you have people whose world you want to protect, right? Like that little girl."
Accelerator frowned and squeezed the handle of his crutch.
"I will protect them when it will be necessary. But I refuse to be a pawn of some mages and get involved in your fights."
Then Misaka Worst spoke up. "But Misaka likes the idea! Misaka is tired of just playing games."
"Don't talk nonsense. You still have an injured arm, you would only be a burden."
"Come on, we're going to be looking for an item after all. That can't be hard. And if I'm in danger, play the hero again!"
"Tsch! I said no!"
"It's your choice, but it was worth a shot," Leivinia said.
"So for now, good luck!" She nodded and walked away with her assistant.
Misaka Worst then looked at Accelerator. "You really don't want to go?"
"Like I said, no."
As Leivinia walked, she told Mark Space her thoughts. "I'm not entirely sure, but I have a feeling he'll eventually change his mind. But that is not so important. Kamijou is going, that is enough. And she is already on Hawaii to prepare everything. Now to direct at least one person in the desired direction."
. . .
It was slowly getting dark. Mikoto headed towards the Tokiwadai dormitory with a quick step. She muttered nervously, angry that Touma was refusing her help. She understands that whenever he gets involved in something, it poses a danger to many people. She felt that he did not respect her strength.
She opened the door of her room. It was empty, apparently Kuroko still had her duties in Judgment. But Mikoto noticed an object on her table that didn't belong there. Small envelope.
(Huh? Maybe another joke from Kuroko? Or some female admirer from my school?)
She walked over to the table and took the envelope in her hand. It was old-fashioned, sealed with a wax seal. When she opened it, she found a plane ticket. A ticket for tomorrow's flight to Hawaii.
(What's that supposed to mean?)
She inspected the envelope better and found a small piece of paper inside. It had 'Kamijou Touma' written on it. Not in Japanese, but in an ornamental Latin script.
Mikoto's eyes widened. She began to understand what it was all about. He would go there too, she had no doubt. But other questions arose. Why does anyone want her to go too? Who is pulling the strings? But she saw it as an opportunity to find out more about what was going on and what he was involved in. Mikoto had already made up her mind. She will play someone's game and try to find out more. Then she looked at the table next to hers.
"I'm going to have a hard time explaining my next departure to Kuroko," said to herself.
Mikoto packed the basic things she might need and hid the bag under the bed so Kuroko wouldn't notice it.
"I have to come up with some excuse for Kuroko in the morning, I'm sure she'll be suspicious why we don't go to school together."
Mikoto wasn't sleeping at all even now. This time, not because of the uncertainty of what happened to the boy she has deep feelings for, but because of the uncertainty of what they will face together.